The marketing “pivot police” probably won’t like this much

Let us hearken back to when the lockdowns first happened in March 2020. I heard the following “second hand” — so may be missing some context — because I don’t hang out with other copywriters and marketers or, really, anyone else, much these days. And I especially don’t hang out with writers on Facebook like flies on the same turd. But Stefania is still on there for her resale business in the buy/sell groups. And she still is connected to a lot of people in the copywriting and marketing world. And I remember her saying how many online marketers, Facebook life coaches, copywriters, etc suddenly — all in unison — started using the word… “Pivot!” … when all the lockdowns & quarantine nonsense happened. Everyone was suddenly an expert on how to pivot. And it was just pivot this. And pivot that. And time to pivot. And here’s how to pivot. And if you don’t pivot you’re not gonna make it, yada yada yada. I get what they were saying. And I mean no disrespect to it, nor do I think they were wrong necessarily considering the lack of business owners who understand the fundamentals of marketing who were able to get by during the fat and easy-credit years suddenly about to be flat on their cans. But in my way of thinking, if you have to pivot then that means you were never very strongly positioned in the first place. Sometimes it’s unavoidable you get caught with your pants down. But, in most cases I’ve seen, it merely exposes pre-existing weaknesses. For example: I changed absolutely nothing about my company and made more sales in 2020 than during any other year I’d been in business to that point. And I never once “pivoted.” All I did was adjust a little here and a little there, to exploit several opportunities I saw amidst the chaos of that year Like Covid obviously. But also the Black Lives Matter & Antifa riots, too. (which helped me move lots of Copy Troll books) And the reason? There are many such reasons. But one of them is, I don’t take a Psychological Marketing approach (dependent on metrics, the economy being strong, what’s working now, opens, clicks, surveys, wondering, guessing, pretending, chasing algorithms, caring about the opinions of others, and so on) and instead take a Sociological approach to my marketing. I was recently interviewed by Email Players subscriber Ray Brehm about World-Building. And, this Sociological approach came up as it’s what makes World-Building in business work. If you’re out there chasing, instead of being chased… if you major in the minors by obsessing over every little metric you can’t control vs bending your every thought & directing your every action towards the big, high payout activities you can control… if you are constantly stopping what you’re doing to change course because of a new tool, tactic or idea… if you are asking what your list wants instead of knowing what they want before they even do… and, frankly, if you don’t have a structure you work within, and pretty much ignore and keep out all ideas/tactics/people who would subvert, change, try to get you to alter that structure because of some trendy tool or goo-roo or other tactic that sounds cool to the masses that pops up… you’re doing the opposite of what I am talking about with Sociological Marketing. What I am talking about is quite the opposite of all that. And, in many ways, the opposite of direct marketing. I’ve seen the faces of those I’ve tried to explain it to. And, frankly, I stopped bothering casting that particular pearl before swine. They don’t want to hear it, and I don’t even really blame them. When all you’ve been inundated with is the typical Psychological marketing advice it’s par for the course. So instead, I first wrote about it in my elBenbo Press book — since my high ticket book & newsletter publishing model is strictly based on this Sociological approach. I’m not even saying my way is “best.” For most, it won’t be. And certainly the Psychological Marketing approach is much “safer.” Anyway, the above book merely taught the basic “101” version of what it is. (Enough to use it in the context of my publishing methodology.) Now? I’m going much deeper into it in the September Email Players issue. An issue whose deadline to get in on time for it is tonight. So if this interests you use the link below while it’s still ripe: [https∶//www.EmailPlayers.com]( Ben Settle This email was sent by Ben Settle as owner of Settle, LLC. Copyright © 2023 Settle, LLC. All Rights Reserved. No part of this email may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from Settle, LLC. Click here to [unsubscribe]( Settle, LLC PO Box 1056 Gold Beach Oregon 97444 USA